What to do in Auckland this weekend: Music, markets, dance and more

By Zanna Gillespie

NZ Herald·

6 Jun, 2025 05:00 PM8 mins to read

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The Auckland Philharmonia offers $10 concerts for adults –with free entry for kids under 16. Photo / Thomas Hamill

This weekend, Tāmaki Makaurau is awash with arts and cultural experiences intent on luring Aucklanders off their couches and out into their city. Two festivals are in full swing, the Pacific Dance Festival and the Matariki Festival, which begins its countdown to

1) Pacific Dance Festival

The Pacific Dance Festival celebrates its 10th year with performances at Māngere and Henderson.

The tenth Pacific Dance Festival kicked off this week with a joyous opening performance by PHAB Pasifika, a collective of artists with disabilities, marking the beginning of a two-week festival that has inclusivity and visibility at its heart. Held at both Māngere Arts Centre and Te Pou Theatre, Henderson, the festival includes contemporary and indigenous dance, physical theatre, spoken word, dance workshops, open rehearsals, and The Fono – an open space for talanoa (discussion) and storytelling. This weekend, you can see Minjungbal, Wiradjuri and Ni-Vanuatu choreographer Thomas E.S. Kelly perform. Next week, there’s a double bill of Shapes in the Clouds and Kuini, and on June 17, there’s a Moana Showcase to add to your diary.

When: On now until June 22.

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Where: Māngere Arts Centre and Te Pou Theatre, Henderson. Visit pacificdance.org.nz for the full programme and tickets.

2) Papa - Papatūānuku / Whakapapa - Woven Wearable Art Showcase

Papa features stunning wearable art crafted from flax, recycled fashion and natural fibres. Photo / Conan Fitzpatrick

Kick off Matariki season with this free public celebration of Māori creativity on Saturday at Kāhui St David’s, the historic Soldiers’ Memorial Church, in Grafton. Showcasing a selection of incredible wearable woven artworks made from harakeke, upcycled materials and fast fashion waste, Papa is much more than a runway show, it’s a celebration of culture, tradition and creativity. Along with the presentation of the intricate and time-intensive garments, there’ll be live performances, music, kai and community.

When: Today, 1pm-3pm.

Where: Kāhui St David’s, Khyber Pass, Grafton. FREE.

3) Auckland Philharmonia’s Community Classics: Beyond the Stars

It’s not often you get to see a professional orchestra of this calibre for about the price of a block of butter, but on Saturday you can do just that with Auckland Philharmonia’s Community Classics. The series is all about making live orchestral music accessible to everyone and starts with a performance at Due Drop Events Centre this afternoon, followed by one at the Bruce Mason Centre on July 19 and the Auckland Town Hall on August 3. The one-hour concert, Beyond the Stars, is hosted by Nick Hall and features famous classical pieces like Clair de Lune and Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte Overture alongside some local compositions and a medley of New Zealand pop songs – a little something for everyone, young and old.

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When: Today, 3pm.

Where: Due Drop Events Centre, 770 Great South Rd, Wiri, Manukau. (Also on July 19 at Bruce Mason Centre and August 3 at Auckland Town Hall).

Price: Tickets $10 + booking fees from aucklandphil.nz Free for children under 16 and students 16-17 years.

4) Other Worlds Day

Other Worlds Day encourages sci-fi fans to don cosplay and enjoy silent discos and zine workshops. Photo / Auckland Council

Hot on the heels of Armageddon, sci-fi enthusiasts have something else to indulge their fascination this weekend: Other Worlds Day. This afternoon, in celebration of the Other Worlds science-fiction exhibition at Central City Library, there’s a day of activities in the city including silent discos, arcade games, photo booths, author talks, guided tours of the exhibition, and a zine workshop. Suitable for all ages, the event takes place across two venues – the Central City Library and Ellen Melville Centre, with the latter hosting Time Travellers’ Diary writing sessions, sci-fi trailers and photo taking, and silent disco city walks. Cosplay is always encouraged.

When: Today, 12pm-5pm.

Where: Central City Library, Lorne St and Ellen Melville Centre, 2 Freyberg Place, Auckland Central. Visit ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz for the full schedule.

5) Freida Market

Freida Market pops up once a month in Grey Lynn with curated vintage treasures and handmade goods.

Kick off your weekend with your monthly dose of Grey Lynn meandering at the Freida Market. It’s the first Saturday of the month, which means wine bar Freida Margolis sets its alarm for a much earlier start than usual and greets the community in the morning with a vintage market. It’s not a sprawling market by any stretch of the imagination, but what it lacks in size it makes up for with style. There’s always a wonderful collection of pre-loved clothes, unique treasures, fabrics, handmade accessories, ceramics, candles, jewellery, vinyl, flowers, baking and other treats. You never know what hidden gems might turn up at Freida Market, and that’s part of its charm.

When: Today, 10am-1pm.

Where: Freida Margolis, 440 Richmond Rd, Grey Lynn.

6) Play at the Pumphouse

If you’re looking for a way to occupy the kids or grandkids this weekend, head down to the Pumphouse in Takapuna where creative play agency The Open Fort is hosting a morning of games and play tomorrow. It’s a free event and there’s no need to book, just turn up with your imagination firing. Participants will get to design games and fun activities with help from the facilitators and play them in the amphitheatre and idyllic surrounds of Lake Pupuke and the Pumphouse. The theatre is supplying items from its costume department too, so dress-ups will almost certainly be part of the fun.

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When: Tomorrow, 9.30am-1pm.

Where: The Pumphouse Outdoor Amphitheatre, Killarney Park, Takapuna. FREE.

7) Matariki Festival

The Matariki Festival runs for five weeks and this year’s theme is “wai” – water.

Auckland Council’s five-week Matariki Festival officially begins today, with this year’s festival celebrating wai (water). There are several events on this weekend to get you into the spirit of the Matariki season, including Ngā Toi o te Tāhuhu, the Ōtāhuhu College Whakairo and Sculpture Exhibition; Ngā Whetū planetarium shows at Stardome; Taurima, a light art installation on Elliot St; a Pauline Yearbury exhibition at Te Uru; Matariki community tree planting in Dairy Flat; Toi ki te Pāka (Art in the Park) in Henderson; and rākau planting at Ihumaatao. Even if you don’t attend any of the aforementioned celebrations, take a moment this weekend to reflect on the year that’s been and the year to come, and maybe take a look at the festival programme; you’ll almost certainly find something of interest.

When: Today until July 13.

Where: Various locations throughout Tāmaki Makaurau. Visit matarikifestival.org.nz for the full programme.

8) Plan Ahead: F.O.L.A. (Festival of Live Art)

F.O.L.A. BTM Voices of Vessels. Photo / John Rata

If you’re interested in what’s on the minds of those on the cutting edge of the art and performance world, then F.O.L.A (Festival of Live Art) is where you’ll find it. Returning after a year off, the festival packs a lot of punch and iconoclastic rebellion into its brief four days at the Basement Theatre. There are seven full-length shows along with exhibitions, rituals and dance floors. From a family-friendly audio experience to video art from smut writer and critical theorist Samuel Te Kani, the festival truly runs the gamut of creative exploration. Featuring local and international artists, F.O.L.A [AKL] is art as the artists intend: free, unfettered, radical and questioning.

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When: June 11-14.

Where: Basement Theatre, Lower Greys Ave and Myers Park, Auckland. See folaakl.co.nz for the full programme and tickets.

9) Plan Ahead: NZSO Masterworks: Beethoven & Haydn

The NZSO will be performing a varied repertoire of classical and contemporary compositions on Tuesday at Manukau’s Due Drop Events Centre and on Friday in Kerikeri. Part of the Masterworks series, the Auckland and Northland performances will include Haydn’s Symphony No 100, Military; Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite No 1; Beethoven’s Symphony No 6, Pastoral; and a new composition, commissioned by NZSO/Sounz Tarling Trust,The Garden, by Briar Prastiti. We doubt you can find a better way to spend your Tuesday evening than experiencing the power of a full live orchestra performance. June 10, 7.30pm.

When: June 10, 7.30pm (Auckland) and June 13, 7.30pm (Kerikeri).

Where: Due Drop Events Centre, 770 Great South Rd, Wiri, Manukau (June 10); Turner Centre, Kerikeri (June 13). Tickets $17-$45 + booking fees from nzso.co.nz